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December 10,
2003 |
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December
Slipping Away...
Today's weather is a good reminder that warmer days like
Monday are memories of the past and colder days are becoming the
norm. The kids and I made the best of the very first "snow day"
by dusting off the sleds and heading to
Westwood Park - a good place for all
ages to sled. Nice rolling hills, not too steep or too fast. It
is funny how we are all so tired. Shoveling the driveway and
sledding for a few hours can sure lead to an exhausted group -
not to mention carrying around the weight of an extra layer of
clothing and snow boots. We looked like a small group of Eskimos
all bundled up and warm. It was a great day, not a day spent in
the garden but a great day all the same.
The
Christmas tree has been purchased but is still not up. Hopefully
we will be able to decorate it before Christmas arrives. December
seems to be slipping away a little more quickly then I would
prefer. So many things to do that the list is somewhat
overwhelming. When am I going to plant those bulbs? I may have
missed my chance...
~
Shelly
Poinsettias
And Pets...
Last week we wrote about Poinsettias and the fact they are
not toxic to humans. This raised the obvious question about
the plant's toxicity to pets. Good news. According to
the
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, "The most common signs of
poinsettia exposure reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Center (APCC) are vomiting, anorexia, and depression. These
effects are self-limiting and require minimal treatment. Therapy
is directed at decreasing further irritation to the gut by
restricting access to food and water for one or two hours."
Source
Pacing Your Paperwhites...
As the holidays near, you can adjust the bloom time of your
forced paperwhites. If they are coming along too quickly, place
them in a cool room (50-60º F) and
water less frequently. If you need to speed them up a bit, place
them in the warmest room in the house. With a little luck
they'll be blooming right on time!
Holiday Window
Boxes...
If your empty window boxes are begging for some winter
substance try filling them creatively with evergreen branches
inserted into the soil. If the soil is already frozen soften it
with warm water first. You will find that balsam fir branches
will hold their blue-green needles until spring. For added color
try bittersweet, holly berries, and strawflowers.
Household Humidity Help...
You know that dry feeling you get in a heated house all
winter long? Your houseplants like it even less than you do.
They actually prefer a relative humidity of 40 to 50 percent but
suffer under humidity levels of 10 to 20 percent common in many
homes during the winter months. What to do? Humidifiers are an
excellent way to increase the relative humidity in the home.
Grouping plants together is an easy way to raise humidity levels
as well. The water evaporating from the potting soil, plus water
lost through the plant foliage, will increase the relative
humidity in the vicinity of the houseplants. Another method is
to place houseplants on trays (saucers) filled with pea gravel or
pebbles. Add water to the trays, but keep the bottoms of the
pots above the water line. The evaporation of water from the
trays increases the relative humidity.
By the way,
misting houseplants is not an effective way to raise the
relative humidity. The plant foliage dries quickly after misting
and would have to be done several times a day to be effective at
all.
Source
Poinsettias
Perfected...
From our friends at
University of Missouri Extension here are some good tips to
make your poinsettias last longer and retain their color.
Consumers should consider several factors when buying a
poinsettia plant, said David Trinklein, professor of
horticulture. The plant should have bright bracts and healthy
foliage that does not look wilted. Its cyathia, the true flower
in the center of the bracts, should be tightly clustered and just
starting to shed pollen.
Once it is brought home these tips will keep
it healthy and happy:
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Place it in a brightly lit location
away from cold drafts or hot air registers.
- Color can be
prolonged if the plant is kept at 60°
to 72°
with high humidity.
- Don't overwater a
poinsettia. Water only when the surface of the growing medium
is dry to the touch.
- If the pot
containing the plant is foil-covered, be sure there is a
drainage hole in the foil. Empty any water that might drain
through the pot and collect in the saucer below.
Source
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Winter Wisdom...
Most of us have heard the controversy over
genetically modified plants and their potential for ruin in our
ecosystems. Far fewer have given thought to what is
probably a greater and more present threat in our own gardens.
Find out what it is in this
week's
Winter
Wisdom...
Cold Facts About
Cool Season Grasses...
Just because your lawn has stopped growing
don't think it can be ignored! Unless we get appreciable
snow, which acts as an insulating cover, cool-season grasses are
at risk from desiccation. Young turf is
at the greatest risk, especially with repeated freeze/thaw
cycles. A good soaking (½ - 1 inch) at the time mowers
are serviced and stored for winter, will help alleviate this
problem by supplying water to the soil and keeping plants
moist.
Finally... "In the bleak
mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter,
Long ago."
~ Christmas Carol |